They said that the young men threw stones at the soldiers and their armoured vehicles, while the soldiers fired tear gas, rubber bullets and live ammunition to disperse them.

Human rights groups have accused Israeli forces of unlawful killings and using lethal force in situations where non-lethal measures would have been appropriate.

Palestinian leaders say the assailants have acted out of desperation over the collapse of peace talks in 2014 and Israeli settlement expansion in occupied territory.

The Israeli army said: "During a violent riot adjacent to the security fence in the central Gaza Strip, dozens of rioters breached the buffer zone, approached and damaged the security fence and attempted to infiltrate Israel."

"Forces fired shots in order to distance and disperse rioters," a military spokeswoman told AFP news agency.